Tannishtha Chatterjee wants people to stop hype around Indian actors working in Hollywood

Actor Tannishtha Chatterjee feels that the hype around Indian actors working in Hollywood should be avoided.

Actor Tannishtha Chatterjee believes that the need to get validation from the West should be stopped.(Yogen Shah)

Actor Tannishtha Chatterjee has worked in plenty of Indo-western collaborations to call herself a global artist, but she does not approve of people in Bollywood being awe struck by desi actors who bag international projects.

“I don’t think we should give emphasis on the validation that we often seek from the West. It’s a part of our colonial psyche and we need to just stop and not get westoxified. I love working and travelling and meeting people from different cultures, as it all helps me expand my vision as an artist. (Also) It is enriching for me, but beyond that, this whole validation is not something I work for,” says Chatterjee.

The actor who has been part of films such as Shadows of Time (2004), Brick Lane (2007) and UnIndian (2016), hopes that people’s perception of constantly looking up at the western films will change soon.

“For a fact that entertainment industry looks at things superficially, our society is still westoxified. If you speak English in a particular way or watch English shows, the society looks up to you. However, as we grow and get mature as a nation, I’m sure we will get over these hang ups,” she says.

In the last one year, actors such as Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone have made their Hollywood debut. Meanwhile, some actors in Bollywood have raised questions on being offered only Asian roles. Chatterjee, however, does not see a problem with it. “We look a particular way. I can’t play a Chinese character, so I don’t know why should there be any other expectations. If I am cast as a South American or an Australian, it visually doesn’t justify and you will have to do prosthetics on me. Why would anyone do that,” wonders the actor.